The Wild Orchid: A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan"

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The Wild Orchid: A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan" (Once Upon A Time)

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 2,730 ratings · 309 reviews

"Once upon a Time" Is Timeless

Wielding a sword as deftly as an embroidery needle, Mulan is unlike any other girl in China. When the emperor summons a great army, each family must send a male to fight. Tomboyish Mulan is determined to spare her aging father and bring her family honor, so she disguises herself and answers the call.

But Mulan never expects to find a friend, l...more

Paperback, 224 pages

Published February 10th 2009 by Simon Pulse

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Lists with This Book

The Storyteller's Daughter by Cameron Dokey

Once Upon a Time Series

9th out of 19 books — 185 voters

The Best Fairytales and Retellings

120th out of 919 books — 5,216 voters

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Oct 15, 2009 Cara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Cara by: Valerie

Shelves: fantasy, fairy-tales

Now I am an "official" I guess you could say fan now. I've read a substantial amount of these books, and now I have to read them all. Dokey is the author that writes most of these retellings and for a good reason. She's excellent at setting the stage but for some reason at the climax you just want more, but I'm happy to report that this one felt totally satisfying.

Here we have the story of Mulan. I thought that it was an interesting idea to put this in the fairy tale catergory. I wouldn't have t...more Now I am an "official" I guess you could say fan now. I've read a substantial amount of these books, and now I have to read them all. Dokey is the author that writes most of these retellings and for a good reason. She's excellent at setting the stage but for some reason at the climax you just want more, but I'm happy to report that this one felt totally satisfying.

Here we have the story of Mulan. I thought that it was an interesting idea to put this in the fairy tale catergory. I wouldn't have thought of it myself but it does fit oddly enough. Unfortunately I don't have much background of the original tale. All my information prior to reading this book came from the Disney version. No worries it isn't a repeat and definitley gives the movie a run for its money.

Mulan never has meet her mother or father. Her mother died in childbirth and her father is a a highly respected general in the Chinese army. General Hua is heart broken when he hears the awful news because he got to marry for love, which was unheard of. He just can't face his daughter until one day he has to. Mulan is not like any girl in China. This annoyed me a little because I mean China is a HUGE country with billions of people, not one of them could be like her? Really? That aside you do see that Mulan is one of a kind because she has this yearning to be herself. She can sew, embroider, shoot an arrow, ride a horse, read, write and wield a sword. And because of all her skills and passion she will become a true hero of China.

This one is one of my favorites. Dokey captured the Chinese culture well. You sense how much respect they show for others and the importance of honor. Li Po (her childhood friend) teaches all she knows and I could see what was going to happen to him in the end. There is so much more action (not that much but a lot more than the others) and I appreciate that Mulan and Prince Jian are not physical knockouts but their characters are so bright. I loved it and that's all I can say without giving away too much.(less)

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Sep 06, 2009 Valerie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: retellings, fantasy

Cameron Dokey never fails to get her point across. I love the Disney movie Mulan so I had no doubt that I wouldn't at least like this book. I'm getting used to these short books.

Mulan is a great protagonist. She is different from other girls and longs to be taught something other than embroidering and being a proper young girl. So she learns (from her neighbor and friend)to read, shot arrows, sword fight, etc. Basically what boys are supposed to be learning, not girls. The only downside to this...more

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Feb 17, 2009 Allison rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-fairytales, 1owned

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I was so psyched to read this installment of the Once Upon a Time Series that I went so far as to preorder it. Besides the fact that I was interested to see how the series would present a non-european tale, I was very excited because I'd never really heard the story of Mulan (disney film excluded, of course). I started off loving it, but by the end....let's just say I was a bit disappointed.

I have four main complaints:

1) Mulan never truly meets a foe she can't face. Although she does encounter o...more I was so psyched to read this installment of the Once Upon a Time Series that I went so far as to preorder it. Besides the fact that I was interested to see how the series would present a non-european tale, I was very excited because I'd never really heard the story of Mulan (disney film excluded, of course). I started off loving it, but by the end....let's just say I was a bit disappointed.

I have four main complaints:

1) Mulan never truly meets a foe she can't face. Although she does encounter obstacles, she seems able to pass by them with little more than luck and determination. As a result, it seems that things "come easy" to her, which subtracts greatly from her heroic deeds. Although it is clear she works hard for her skills, the author's desire to show Mulan as a determined strong woman overrides the realism of the story. We do not see Mulan frustrated because she can't hit a target, and we never hear about Mulan falling off a horse. In fact, if she could just keep quiet, it would seem this Mulan could do no wrong.

2) Because of the length of the book, important characters, such as Mulan's father, stepmother, her lover, or MOST importantly Prince Guang (who the author seemed to think was the main antagonist, despite the fact that he does NOTHING in the book) get almost no "screentime". Because of this, Mulan's "close" relationships with them seems forced, while relatively minor characters, (such as her childhood friend, Li Po) get a lot of mention, despite the fact that they play a minimal role in the story.

3) Part of the reason I read this series is because it presents me with a unique version of beloved fairy tales. My favorite books in the series are the ones that alter the "traditional" tale, either by changing the story itself (as is the case with Golden and The Crimson Thread), by placing the story in a non-traditional context (As Water Song did by taking the classic tale of The Frog Prince and setting the story in the middle of World War I), or by slightly altering an important aspect of or point of view in of the story. Perhaps this is just because I don't know the story well, but I felt that this version of Mulan had NONE of these qualities. Sure, there was a unique, independent, forward-thing heroine, but in every other way I assume this was a typical retelling of The Ballad of Mulan.

So it seems to me that the very fact that it is not a european story makes it "unique" enough to be included in the collection. And although the story's origin DOES make it special, I don't think being ethnically different from the other tales in the collection makes this story a truly unique retelling.

4) The book itself seems very unbalanced, with the first 50 pages alone focusing on Mulan's early childhood. Although I am normally a huge fan of backstory, in a book of less than 200 pages, the author does not have the leisure of using 1/4 of the book's volume just to discuss the protagonist's childhood. This is especially frustrating in this tale because these 50 pages seem to suggest something horrible looming in Mulan's immediate future- but in actuality, the arrival of her father and new stepmother are ultimately POSITIVE changes.

This, in and of itself would not necessarily ruin the book. However, the author adopts a rather leisurely pace, and so Mulan does not actually leave her home until page 112- leaving the heroine a mere 87 pages to establish herself as a soldier, meet the love of her life, worry about her hidden identity, experience camp life, see battle, fall in love, take down the Huns and save all of China. And yet, despite the small number of pages, the author manages to make Mulan's heroic deed and blossoming romance less interesting than the girl's quiet country childhood.

I can't say I hated the book. It was cute, and I did enjoy Mulan's narration- as misleading as it was. I also liked the "asian flavor" this story brought to the series, although it still seemed very European to me. But due to poor planning, the novel managed to be short AND meandering, which is, in my opinion, quite a feat. Perhaps this was Dokey trying to adopt a more eastern style of writing, or perhaps she was merely trying to stretch out a very short story. Whatever the case may be, I can honestly say this was not my favorite installment of the Once Upon A Time Series. Still, if you liked the Disney film, or are a fan of the series as a whole, you may want to pick this retelling up.

(less)

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Jul 18, 2012 Abby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-fantasy, strong-hero, strong-heroine, to-have-my-future-kids-read, favorites, summer-2012, all-the-lovable-boys, i-own-it, summer-reads

I loved Mulan (the disney movie) as a kid, but I forgot how much until I read that book. I now remember why I loved it and now love it again.

Smart and Brave Heroine: CHECK
Mulan has literally virtue that I admire: bravery, strength, I love that she isn't afraid to be different or to be herself. She just wishes she could be herself without disgracing her family or her warrior father. She is so brave and strong. She is one of my favorite Heroines now.

Sweet and Brave Hero: CHECK
Even though he's not...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Fairlita rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: period-ancient-china, folklore-fairytale_mythology_fable, ya, china-or-chinese, easy-comfort-reads, history-or-historical, adaptation-or-retelling, once-upon-a-time-series, covers-comparison, read-2011_01-04

Much more enjoyable than the Disney film version, but I also would love to see the 2011-release 3D version with Zhang Ziyi as Hua Mulan, or
2009 one with Vicky Zhao Wei.

The only drawback is the name "China" itself. I'm not an expert when it comes to the history of China, but in my opinion, the country and its inhabitants were not referred as "China" and "Chinese" during the period of the story.

Book cover: Horrible! How is it possible that a Chinese girl, whose biological mother and father are bo...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Elevetha Houre rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Lovers of fairytales retold, reimagined, or twisted on it's side

Shelves: adventure, fairytale-retelling, fantasy-adventure, fairytales, gorgeous-covers, historical-whatnot, insta-love, images-involved-in-review, the-series-of-awesome-quest, 2010-or-before

2.5 stars. Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan". Enjoyable enough to read.

It really focuses on Mulan and her family. I liked that a lot. Her relationships with her father, step-mother, best friend, etc. are believable and sweet. I especially liked how close her father and her became by the end of the book. And I truly appreciated the step-mother being nice and caring; not a witch.

It is pretty much all Mulan's childhood and growth into a young woman until her family receives the summons for a man...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Janus Vielle (The Blair Book Project) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-paperback

Not exactly a tale that I find memorable and exciting. I appreciated the first parts of this book but as the story progressed, I came to notice how shallow and uneventful it turned out to be.

I didn’t get to know the characters very well. Mulan’s character was fairly established but as for everyone else, I just got a glimpse or two of their names and not much of their personality. I also find that Mulan’s love interest, Prince Jian (…is that his name? correct me if I’m wrong.) a very unreal chara...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Mulan's mother died during labor. Her father, a great General in the army, was heartbroken. He's never been home since he heard the news. Thus, Mulan lost both her parents on the same day.

Mulan is not your typical girl. Instead, she climbs trees and despises needlework. She meets the boy next door and the two of them form a friendship. He teaches her archery, how to ride a horse, how to use a sword, and, finally, how to read and write.

When her fath...more

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Aug 05, 2011 April rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya, own, multicultural

I read The Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey back in April for the Dewey Readathon. This young adult book retells the ballad of Mulan. It’s a bit more in-depth than the Disney film — but lacking the awesome songs (and yes I totally have Be A Man on my iPod).

Set in Imperial China, Mulan is tough as nails. She can heft a sword, run through mud without freaking out, and isn’t very girly. So, she’s chilling out in the woods behind her house with her BFF, Li Po – who taught her literacy and archery becaus...more

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Feb 24, 2009 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Prior to reading Wild Orchid, my only exposure to the story of Mulan was through the animated Disney film (which I haven’t seen since its release about ten years ago). It’s refreshing to see the Once Upon a Time series expand its boundaries from the traditional European folk & fairy tale canon. While Dokey’s fairy tale heroines tend to be somewhat similar – they want to follow their hearts and develop their own identities in spite of forces arrayed against them – Mulan’s story stands out bec...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, fairytale, fantasy, in-english, read-in-2012, read-in-vienna

Though still a charming retelling, I think this retelling of Dokey's had one problem I'm not willing to overlook: the insta-love. I don't believe in this. I have two friends who fell in love at first sight, so I know it exists.. but not quite like this.

Still, The Wild Orchid is a good retelling, and the character of Mulan a very sympathetic one. Once again, the book has a moral about human relationships that I don't think is bad to take to heart: for the heart, it says, is exactly what matters....more

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May 25, 2012 May rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tales

Hua Mulan, the daughter of a famous Chinese general, has grown up mostly alone in the country. Her mother died after giving birth, and there are only two servants in the house. Her father has never come home since her mother died, so she's never seen him. And her only friend is Li Po, who lives across the stream. Not that Li Po's mother approves, despite the high status of the Hua family name. When her father finally does come home, Mulan's world is first devastated, then rebuilt. She and her fa...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Kat rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: format-ebook, who-nook

It's strange - I really liked this book. Way more than I should have. It's so short that I started it as I was getting ready for bed & had finished it by the time I wanted to sleep a few hours later. Also, all the best parts of the story (or what should be the best parts anyways) happen in the second half. That's right, the entire first half is devoted to her life at home before all the heroic stuff happens. Plus, she falls in love pretty much instantaneously, which is a huge pet peeve of mi...more

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Jul 05, 2011 (´*•.¸ღBexღ¸.•*´) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books

Mulan is not like most other girls in ancient China. She has grown up without a mother, and rather than spend her days doing ladylike tasks and dreaming of marriage, she has learned to fight using a sword and bow. Her father is somewhat distant and doesn't like to speak of his late wife, and Mulan often wonders if she is a disappointment to him.

When the Emperor forms an army to fight the Huns, every household must send one male to fight. Mulan's aging father has recently remarried, and Mulan re...more

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Apr 10, 2011 Natalie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, own

I have loved the story of Mulan ever since I was a little girl and saw the Disney movie. Now, looking back, it was an extremely silly movie with really dumb songs, but I still remember it fondly. This book is nothing like the movie. It tells the story of a brave girl who wants only to be free, but she is not the rebellious young woman with a bad attitude as portrayed in the film.

Mulan was born an unusual child, the product of a marriage of true love when such a thing was rarely seen. Her father,...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Alison Catherine rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story of Mulan is probably my favorite when it comes to Disney classics. And I don’t think it has anything to do with me being Chinese. I just love the idea of having a girl be the hero, instead of the guy. And in a world where girls have to prove themselves, we need stories like this. So I burrowed this book from my friend because I loved Disney’s version.

The new story of Mulan’s life is really nice. It’s a refreshing twist from the old tale. Her friend, Li Po, is also a really cool additi...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Kiera Beddes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: eng-420

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 03, 2010 Nikki rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairytales, fantasy, romance, children-s-and-ya

This series of fairytale retellings caught my eye as something that might be fun and quick to read. It was both. This story is a sweet little romance, with a strong female character at the centre, and it's not one of the typical Western fairytales either, though most of the rest of the series is.

While I enjoyed it, and read it very quickly, I wouldn't give it three stars because it is in no way historically accurate or culturally plausible. There's tiny hints at research into Chinese customs, bu...more

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Jun 25, 2010 Lady Knight rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, teen, war, dark-ages, asia-india-middle-east, on-my-shelf-book, fairy-or-folk-tale-retelling, 2009-tbr-pile-read

This was a great addition to the series, and quite honestly is my favorite thus far. It retells the Ballad of Mulan (and does a much better job than the Disney movie... no offense meant to anyone, I still like the movie) and fleshes it out so that Mulan's motives make absolute sense, and so that her world is believable. My only bone to pick is that after all the time spent setting up the story and Mulan's personality, she suddenly falls in love after only knowing them for maybe a week. While not...more

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Sep 29, 2009 Lexie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-blog, books-owned

Wild Orchid is part of the YA Romance line of books 'Once Upon a Time' from Simon & Schuster. I've been with this series since the very beginning (The Storyteller's Daughter, Cameron Dokey 2002) and so far only two books have let me down in any great way. Wild Orchid holds a special place for me because in 1998 I fell in love the Disney Animation 'Mulan', and while realizing even then that Disney liked to romanticize their movies a great deal, the story itself fascinated me. To be certain I...more Wild Orchid is part of the YA Romance line of books 'Once Upon a Time' from Simon & Schuster. I've been with this series since the very beginning (The Storyteller's Daughter, Cameron Dokey 2002) and so far only two books have let me down in any great way. Wild Orchid holds a special place for me because in 1998 I fell in love the Disney Animation 'Mulan', and while realizing even then that Disney liked to romanticize their movies a great deal, the story itself fascinated me. To be certain I read the english translation of the originator (Ballad of Mulan) and laughed myself silly over the changes.

I went into the book with similar expectations as that of the Disney counterpart. Its short, just over 199 pages and the first half is almost exclusively about Mulan's childhood and how she was different from other girls her own age. I got worried when the next quarter of the book dealt with her father returning home and yet there was still no mention of Mulan running off to war. Her actual time in the army was short, couldn't have been over a month (in the ballad she was in the army for 12 years!) and almost immediately she singles herself out for notice. This portion of the book--that of her army exploits and meeting Prince Jian--seemed very rushed and hurried.

We meet Jian's two older brothers--Ying the oldest and Guang the second oldest--but very little time is given to either one. We are told that Ying is a subtle thinker and less warrior then scholar. We are told and briefly shown that Guang is a manipulative person, very deep in court intrigues and secrets. I would have liked to see the two more, especially Ying since I didn't understand why his brothers respected him enough to halt their bickering.

Then also the romance between Jian and Mulan is quick and almost literally love at first sight for Mulan (then in the guise of Hua Gong-shi). Later when Jian admits he feels as if their hearts beat as one, still believing Mulan is a male foot soldier under his command, I couldn't help but wonder that he didn't seem at all worried by this. Is it so normal then for a commander and foot soldier be so attuned with each other? Over an archery match no less?

Still I enjoyed this novel. It wasn't exactly what I wanted as a retelling of of the Ballad, but it at least built up her background much better then I could have hoped for. Incidentally reports vary about Hua Mulan--her origins, when she fought etc. Some report that she was trained in warfare early on in life, as was normal for daughters of ranking military officiers. The book however makes it clear that its considered unladylike. Also some reports say that Mulan told her father outright her plans. So I wonder at what pieces Dokey took from which sources to make up the fabric of the story.(less)

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Jan 02, 2012 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, wishlist-to-buy, reviewed

Mulan is a girl no mother-in-law wants during that time. She's more a tomboy than a girly-girl. Instead of emboidering, she likes to ride a horse and learn archery from her best friend Lin Po.

She grew up without a mother and father and she's always afraid that she's not good enough for her father. When he got injured, he's sent home (and his good name is gone, since he didn't agree with the emperor). Her father falls in love and marries another woman, but then comes the devasting news. The emper...more

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Sep 27, 2009 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I have to say, I was pleasently suprised with this book. Though the typical story of Mulan, it was very well written. One thing I apreciated, many authors seem to think that if they make a girl disguise herself as a boy they need to go over every detail of the disguise, this book doesn't. In fact, she wears her own clothes and barely bothers to cut her hair. I found myself really apreciating that. The other thing the author does, unlike most author's of her genre, is in the fact that she didn't...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Marianne Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've been a big fan of this series for a long time. I enjoy reading these books, if only to help me get over my book hangovers faster. I really love the Mulan movie, so I was interested to pick this book up.

Like it always happens with these books, the lenght always proves to be an inconvinienve. In this book, since it was so short, I felt like there was virtually no character or situation building. There wasn't a very good spotlight for the characters, which always make the stories for me.

What...more

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Apr 23, 2009 earthy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, fairy-tales

The first four or five pages contain some of the worst, faux-humble, self-aggrandizing, unnatural narration I've read in a long time, but after that, we're given a chance to actually know Mulan and learn about her strength through her childhood. Which is all good and well, except that this section lasts for a large portion of the book, whereas the main crux of Mulan's life--disguising herself as a boy to fight for China--happens very late in the story and isn't given nearly the importance it oug...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Kimberly rated it 3 of 5 stars

For my Birthday I got the book Once, which has three of Cameron Dokey's books from the Once Upon a Time series in it. Wild Orchid was the one I most wanted to read, because I just love the fairy tale of Mulan. I really enjoyed reading it, but when I finished it, I looked back at it and it disappointed me in so many ways.

The thing that I noticed about Wild Orchid right off the bat was, unlike other re-tellings like Cinder or Splintered that are modern re-tellings that have the same elements as...more For my Birthday I got the book Once, which has three of Cameron Dokey's books from the Once Upon a Time series in it. Wild Orchid was the one I most wanted to read, because I just love the fairy tale of Mulan. I really enjoyed reading it, but when I finished it, I looked back at it and it disappointed me in so many ways.

The thing that I noticed about Wild Orchid right off the bat was, unlike other re-tellings like Cinder or Splintered that are modern re-tellings that have the same elements as the fairy tales, but feel modern, Wild Orchid felt like a fairy tale. Cameron Dokey has the writing style that feels timeless and everything in this book just sounded like a fairy tale. I really loved that.

The characters in this book reminded me of every character in every fairy tale, which is both good and bad. Good, because they have all these traits that you admire and love. Bad, because it didn't make them feel personal, they just felt like a clone copies.

The thing about this book, that if I had known it I don't think I would have read this book, is that only in the last half of the book was Mulan at war. The first 11 chapters was her back-story. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't bored when I was reading that part, but it was a little weird. Weird, because it wasn't always in chronological order. It was like Mulan was telling you about her childhood and she would tell you stories from different times in her childhood. And it wasn't until chapter 8 or 9 that it got a solid foundation for a plot.

In chapter 11 is where the story of Mulan really starts and its almost exactly like the Disney story, except a lot faster. I would have loved this book so much more if her going to war didn't conceits of just one battle. That was it, she wasn't even in the army for more then two weeks. I would have loved it if the author slowed that part down and showed as what living in the army camp was like, or Mulan training or what it would be like if there was more then one battle, something more. It just felt forced and fast.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, it was fun and had this way about it that made it feel like a fairy tale. However, the part where Mulan goes to war felt rushed and just disappointed me on so many levels. I would recommend this to people who want a quick read, but just don't expect anything else or you'll end up disappointed like me.(less)

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Jan 22, 2013 Angela (: rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, books-library-owns

This is the second book I read by Cameron Dokey. Although I liked this book better than Golden, I had problems with it. Not big problems, but problems are problems.

First, the character’s name. After Mulan disguises herself as a boy, she calls herself Gong-shi, meaning Bow-and-Arrow. I don’t know where the author got the name from, but it should be Gong-jian. (view spoiler) Which is sort of weird, bec...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tales

(originally published at http://storybound.blogspot.com/2012/0...)

I enjoyed this retelling of Mulan. I liked Mulan's character - her desire to learn, to read and write, to learn how to fight and use a bow and arrow, her not so fondness for girly tasks like embroidery, her desire to have fun and be free and live the life she wants to. When the men are called back into service to fight the Huns, Mulan knows she can't watch her aging, injured father who finally found happiness again, go off to war...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Hannah Gold rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-favourites, sounds-like-poetry-type, marvelous-plots, good-lessons

Pros:
- As usual, the author, Cameron Dokey, wrote very well. The book was simple yet spellbinding. That's a big reason I love reading her books. They're the type that can really take me away to different places and times, as all books should.
- I really like Mulan. I already liked her in the Disney adaptation of the movie, and I liked her even better in this book. :)
- The book teaches a few lessons and good morals too.

Cons:
- I didn't like how the emperor of China was called the "Son of Heaven." I...more

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May 05, 2012 Stacy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Mulan has grown up with out knowing her father, or her mother's name. She has always been different than other children some say it's because her parents were allowed to marry for love so that created a unique child. For almost fourteen years she has grown up with only the servants to take care of her and never known her father. Her father comes home after being injured in a battle. Mulan worries that because she is different and not like other girls of China she will disappoint her father. Her...more

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May 10, 2012 Charlie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, fiction, young-adult, ya-retellings, ya-female-pov

It took a while for me to get into Wild Orchid. The novel was slow to take off, and I wasn’t all that interested in the character to begin with. But I did start to really enjoy the novel and Mulan’s character. However, as with some of the other books in this series, some things happened far too quickly. The relationships between Mulan and her father, her step-mother and the prince who is her ‘soul-mate’, all develop too quickly. I didn’t ‘feel’ the truth of the relationship between Mulan and Pri...more

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About Cameron Dokey

Cameron Dokey is an American author living in Seattle, Washington. She has a collection of over 50 old sci-fi and horror films. Cameron was born in the Central Valley of California. Cameron grew up reading classical literature and mythology, perhaps due to her father, Richard, being a teacher of Philosophy, Creative Writing, and Western Literature.

Cameron has one husband and three cats, and is th...more

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Books by Cameron Dokey

Before Midnight: A Retelling of "Cinderella"

Beauty Sleep: A Retelling of "Sleeping Beauty"

Belle: A Retelling of "Beauty and the Beast"

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Quotes from The Wild Orchid: A Ret...

“I had to cease to mourn what could never be and make the most of what was possible. And I would begin doing that by trying to mend the hurts of the past.” — 81 people liked it

“I have not led an ordinary life, nor a life that would suit everyone. I took great risks, but because I did, I also earned great reward. I found the way to show my true face freely, without fear. Because of this, I found true love.” — 16 people liked it

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title link	preview: The Wild Orchid: A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan"
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3607543-the-wild-orchid?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1246065683l/3607543.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3607543-the-wild-orchid?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Wild Orchid: A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan" by Cameron Dokey[/url]

The Wild Orchid: A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan" (Once Upon A Time)

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